Stages: Always
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Sequel to Sometimes… After Lisa killed her husband, she found herself pregnant with an unwanted child and surrounded by nightmares. Now her only hope is a charming psychiatrist obessessed with fear and his own agenda. Part Two of 'Stages' Trilogy.
1. Chapter One

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Summary:** (Sequel to _Sometimes..._) Lisa's struggle did not end the day she killed Jackson. Instead, she has to fight the nightmares that surround her and try to move on as she prepares to give birth to their child.

**Chapter One**

At first, it had all seemed like a bad dream. She was Amy, Jackson Rippner's wife, not his former victim, Lisa Reisert. But as Jackson fell into his true managerial self, the world that he had created and she had accepted began to collapse. She had to face the harsh reality of their life and the past.

There could never be any happily ever after for them. Jackson was far too controlling for her likes and he had tried to kill her! She may have loved him, but their love would not keep them together—it would only tear them apart. They were too different.

She had loved him too much and she had paid the price. Lisa Rippner had murdered her husband, Jackson, in cold blood. He had tormented and used her and she tortured him in return, making him suffer before she ended his miserable existence.

He had been lower than scum, yet it still pained her to think about her crime. The police had let her off, chalking it up as domestic abuse from Jackson and self-defense on Lisa's behalf. But the cold blue eyes accused her, calling her a murderer and telling her that she was no better than him. That they were on the same moral platform.

Instead of black and white, Lisa had fallen into the shades of grey, where there was no good and evil, right and wrong. This was where Jackson had spent most of his life.

The smooth-talking charmer that had managed to impregnate her while she had amnesia. The man that she hated and loved as much as she hated and loved herself. The manager who she nearly killed and who's job nearly killed her in return. Jackson Rippner…

The memories of him were too painful. For fuck's sake, she was in therapy due to the mind games that he had played upon her!

She had fallen in love with him when she had forgotten who she was, who he was, and what he had done. But her memory had returned, and with it came disgust as she realized that she had loved him. She was just as dirty and low-down as he was.

Lisa had stooped to his games when it suited her, teasing him and controlling him to get what she wanted. What she had wanted was him, just him. Until the end, when she used the manipulating skills against the manipulator to end the struggle once and for all.

But the struggle was just beginning as she neared her due date. The memories of him were growing stronger and she often wondered if she were losing her mind and whatever shred of sanity that had escaped his clutches.

Joe had begged her to come back, to stay with him in her old room. But she had refused and against her better judgment, moved in the house that Jackson had bought and arranged for her. The home that had been her prison for a short time during their fatal fight.

The window that she had shot out had been replaced and Jackson's blood had been power-washed from the stone patio. The flooring in the upstairs hallway where she had shot Jackson had been replaced, as had the entry hall where his true colors had shown again. Anywhere that blood had touched had been scrubbed, painted, and/or replaced. Yet, Lisa remembered every detail of that day.

The night had been wonderful, if not magical. Jackson had made her so incredibly happy and she had never wanted to be anywhere else except there with him. They had been in sync and were one for so many times and so long, that it hurt to be separated.

Even now, six months later, she still wanted him back. Jackson had been buried four months ago and she was due to bring their daughter into the world in three months. She was not looking forward to raising a child on her own, but Jackson had left her behind with a rather large sum of money.

Luckily, the house, the car, the furniture, the clothes in the closet—it had all been paid off. Jackson had paid cash for everything. The only bills Lisa had were the monthly bills and of course, weekly grocery shopping. Yet Jackson handled it all from the grave. A large checking account, savings account, and a very full safe in the house kept Lisa prepared for life. She never needed to work or worry again.

If there was one exceptionally good thing that she could say about Jackson, it was that he was very good with money and very logical. He was taking excellent care of her.

**Author's Notes:**

I decided to, spur-of-the-moment, write a sequel to _Sometimes…_ It's actually going to be a trilogy with another part called _Never…_ to follow this one. This one takes place six months after Jackson's death and it's going to deal with her beginning struggles to let go and accept what happened. The next chapter is going to be a therapy session and this story will probably go until Lisa gives birth to their child. There will be time jumps. It's only going to be short and _Never…_ will probably only be a quick story that will take place when their daughter is older and learns the truth after Lisa feels that she's ready to move on for good. That's the plan so far. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter Two

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Two**

Lisa hated her weekly therapy session. Her therapist, a Dr. Betsy Gruber, was a nice woman, but all the same, Lisa loathed sharing her life with a stranger. She needed the help and it was one of the conditions her father had set on her for living alone or else he would call upon the nice doctors in the white coats to take her away to an insane asylum. Besides, this was her third therapist and she had only seen her once before.

"Lisa, it's great to see you again," greeted Dr. Gruber, a cheery middle-aged woman with straight, jet-black hair.

"It's nice to see you too," Lisa said, a fake smile plastered upon her face as she entered the room that was her therapist's office.

"Take a seat," offered Betsy, and Lisa gratefully sat down on the plush leather couch and rested her hands on her ever-growing stomach.

Lisa looked at her therapist, waiting expectantly for her to begin the expensive session. Jackson had been the one who forced her into therapy and he was footing the bill for it. Oh, the irony…

"So, have you been sleeping regularly through the night?" Dr. Gruber questioned, with her notepad at the ready.

"No," said Lisa, shaking her head. "I never sleep through the night. I dread sleep."

"Is it still the insomnia?"

"I guess, but more or less it's him," Lisa sighed.

"Him? Jackson? How so?"

"He won't leave me alone. I can still see him everywhere I turn. I hear his voice all the time. I can't seem to escape…"

"Lisa, this is common behavior for coping with a sudden loss. I can not tell you when it will end."

"I'm afraid you don't understand my situation," Lisa's voice turned cold. "Jackson was a psychopath. He tried to kill me and screwed with my mind. Now, I'm carrying his child!"

"Mrs. Rippner, I need you to calm down," Dr. Gruber said softly and calmly, after she removed her eyeglasses.

Lisa closed her mouth to keep from screaming. How was she supposed to begin to explain to these ignorant people the horrors that she had suffered at his hands? What about the mixed up feelings that bothered her, which alternated from hate to love and everywhere in between? What about the haunting of her mind by him?

"It's just really hard…" Lisa settled on, once she had calmed herself down. She could scream and throw things later. Now was not the time.

"I know. Now, do you think you can tell me when Jackson seems to be the most alive or bothersome? What usually happens?"

"Nighttime seems to be the worst…he used to comfort me at night. He'd speak to me and hold me close and it was if he kept me safe from bad things. He was reassuring. Now, now he's terrifying…" Lisa swallowed hard, and bit her lip before continuing. "I'll be lying there and he's next to me, whispering to me and then he grabs me by the throat and is strangling me. He'll get violent with either words or actions. He'll tease me and screw with my mind."

"Do you see him and/or feel him during the night?"

With a sigh, knowing that it made her sound insane, she replied, "Yes."

Maybe she was insane. She had not a clue anymore.

"How does it make you feel?"

"Scared or sometimes happy. It depends upon his mood. If he's nice, I think he's come back."

"How did your husband die again? You told me in our last session that he died. How?" Dr. Gruber inquired, not realizing how much it hurt Lisa to think about Jackson's death.

"I…I shot him four times," Lisa recalled, her voice trembling as the images flashed through her head, along with his teasing tone. "Then I shot out the window behind him and…and he fell…"

_"So, tell me, Lisa… Where are you gonna shoot me? The head? The heart?" Jackson's voice taunted her during their final showdown as he caught up to her in the hallway._

"You murdered him?" the therapist said in shock.

"Self-defense. He hurt me and tried to kill me. I won. I won… Jack…" Lisa's mind was becoming cluttered with Jackson's voice.

_"Love you, Leese," he told her before falling._

"Mrs. Rippner? Mrs. Rippner?" Dr. Gruber's voice was concerned. Lisa's eyes had a slightly glazed and glassy look to them.

"Jackson… Jackson… I still love you… Come back!" Lisa cried out, still disoriented.

Dr. Gruber hurried to her side, and shook Lisa's shoulders lightly. This was not a normal behavior from a patient. Lisa not acted this way before in their other session. She had been calm and simply explained what she had been doing with her other therapists and told her about some of her problems. They had not gotten into the details until now.

"Jack… no, stop! Stop it!" Lisa was crying, her whole body shaking and her hands clutched at her own throat. She was fighting an invisible person.

"Mrs. Rippner! Lisa!"

What was she supposed to do? This had never happened before. What was wrong with Lisa Rippner?

As suddenly as the strange behavior had started, it stopped. Lisa bolted upright, her green eyes wide in fright and she seemed uneasy.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll be going now," Lisa said quietly, brushing past the therapist and heading for the door.

"But, you still have another forty minutes! Mrs. Rippner!" Dr. Gruber chased after the fleeing patient.

Lisa whirled around. "Please, I just need some time alone. This is hard on me. What Jackson did—it's deeper than most people think. I need some time to myself. Please…"

"Will I see you next week?"

"Maybe…I'll try," Lisa said solemnly. She knew that she would either have to come back or find a new therapist. Neither option was appealing.

Nothing about her situation was. She was a widow who killed her own husband who tricked her and abused her mentally for his own twisted purposes. She was going to have a child in a few months that she was not sure that she even wanted. Abortion had crossed her mind, yet dealing with Jackson's death and funeral had kept her mind preoccupied with other thoughts. Currently, she was considering adoption. She may have loved Jackson, but she was not sure she could care for a child in her state, let alone have a reminder of him.

**Author's Notes:**

Not my best chapter and I certainly don't know much about therapy. I'm going to research it this weekend and try to get it realistic. I've been in therapy before, but not for the same stuff as Lisa. Anyways, enjoy and there should be another chapter in another day or two.


	3. Chapter Three

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Three**

Once Lisa made it back into her house, after she put the security system back on, she collapsed on the floor, sobbing. She had finally lost it in front of another person. But this therapist had not seemed nearly as good at her job as her previous therapists. She would never, never go back to Dr. Gruber.

"Lisa," she heard his voice say and she shrank back against a nearby wall.

"No! Go away! Leave me alone!" Lisa cried out. No, not again!

"I can't leave you, Lisa. You know that. You're mine, remember?"

She could have sworn he was there, sitting beside her, his hand touching her cheek. She could have sworn Jackson was alive.

No, no, no! He was dead! She killed him! She killed him for what he had done to her. Lisa had seen his dead body several times. She could still see the sight of his broken body from the shattered window, his neck broken in the fall and his blood seeping into the stone. Her Jackson, her love; dead by her own hand.

Why had she killed him? She had known then that she loved him, even if he and his actions had disgusted her. He had tricked her, manipulated her, but he had loved her. His dying words had told her that. Jackson never lied; he never lied!

Lisa rested her hands on her stomach. It was at times like these that it was rather comforting knowing that their child was growing inside of her. But one day, their daughter would have to learn about what happened to her father and hear Lisa's twisted tale about their love. A love so strong that she _had_ to kill him. She loved him too much and he was too controlling.

Her sobs died down and she finally stopped crying. It seemed as if crying was all she ever did anymore. She had shut herself up in the house that Jackson was responsible for putting together and the house where she killed him. Lisa could not bring herself to visit her father in her state or to go back to the hotel and see Cynthia. The only people she ever saw anymore were doctors and therapists, and each one was less helpful than the last. She hated it but she was learning to accept it.

If only she could have accepted Jackson's love…

Maybe it would not ache so badly if she had not killed him. Maybe things would have been different and they would both be anxiously awaiting the birth of their child. A child that Lisa was not sure that she wanted to keep.

What if she was crazy? She could hurt their daughter. Jackson would not want her to be a danger. He would forgive her if she let their child go live elsewhere with another family, but not if she let any harm befall the child.

If she decided to let their daughter go up for adoption, then she would at least name her first. That way, when she was ready, she could find Lisa and learn about what happened and why she let her go just as why she killed her father.

The ringing phone disturbed her thoughts and Lisa rose from the floor. Her shoes made no sound as she crossed the title floor to where the phone was ringing off the hook. Her heart was beating quickly, the thudding the only sound she heard. Maybe it was Jackson, calling to check up on her.

Her right hand shook slightly as she reached out to grab the phone.

"Hello? Jackson?" she answered the phone, her voice hopeful.

"Hello? Is this Lisa Rippner?" a male voice asked, somewhat reminiscent of Jackson.

"Jackson? Jackson, is that you?"

"Mrs. Rippner, is Dr. Jonathan Crane. Dr. Gruber turned your case over to me."

"Oh, I'm sorry, you just sounded so much like him," her voice was disappointed. It was not Jackson after all, but another doctor. Another hated doctor.

"That's quiet all right, Mrs. Rippner. From what I know, you recently went through a trauma…"

"Jackson," Lisa whispered. "He died, didn't he?"

"Yes, Mrs. Rippner, Jackson died. Six months ago according to your file," Crane said softly.

"I did it. I killed him…"

"Mrs. Rippner, I'm flying into Miami today. Would you mind if I stopped by to have a chat with you?"

Lisa was dazed. This Dr. Crane did not seem to be the same as her other therapists. Maybe, maybe meeting him would not hurt. There was no saying that it would be a therapy session. Just a 'chat'. Besides, she needed to talk to someone. For some odd reason, she felt that she might be able to trust this man had she had never seen that sounded somewhat like her beloved Jackson.

"No, please do stop by. Do you need a place to stay? My house is huge…" Lisa almost smacked herself. What was she thinking? Inviting a stranger to come and stay in her house? What had Jackson done to her to make her suddenly feel a need to have someone else around?

He sounds like Jackson… he sounds like Jackson. Maybe he's Jackson in disguise…

"Well," Dr. Crane sighed. "Thank you for the offer, but are you sure you want me staying there?"

"I'm sure," she insisted. If there was even a slight chance that he was Jackson, she had to find out. She had to know.

"Okay. My flight gets in around 4pm. I'll catch a cab from the airport and see you around 5, I guess."

"Okay," Lisa agreed. "I'll see you then, Dr…"

"Crane. Dr. Jonathan Crane," he reminded her.

"Right, Jonathan Crane."

"Good-bye, Mrs. Rippner," Dr. Crane said and hung up the phone.

As soon as she replaced the phone, Lisa wondered what had come over her? She did not know this Dr. Crane fellow and at first he was only stopping by for a chat and now he was going to be staying with her! Why was he letting her do this? Why had she offered?

Jackson… he might be Jackson.

She had never heard of a Dr. Jonathan Crane before.

Jonathan…Jackson…

**Author's Notes:**

This chapter took longer than I had originally thought. It was going to be a conversation between Jonathan and Dr. Gruber, but things changed. As for the awkward format of the chapter, it's mainly because Lisa's thoughts are so erratic and off. At times, she does think Jackson's alive, which is what's happening towards the end of the chapter. I'm sorry if Crane's a little off, because I highly doubt that a psychiatrist would stay with a patient, especially one that he had never met. Oh well! Enjoy! The next chapter should be up in a few days and Lisa's in for a surprise when Jonathan arrives.


	4. Chapter Four

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Four**

At preciously 5pm, the intercom for the gate went off, announcing the arrival of Dr. Jonathan Crane. Lisa did not even bother to look at the camera and just buzzed the cab in. A few moments later, the doorbell rang and she ran to open it, excited at the prospect of maybe seeing Jackson again. All afternoon, she had been thinking about Jackson and their meeting in the airport, their fight, and the time spent in the hospital together.

Lisa swung the front door open and froze. Could it be? Could it be?

"Jackson!" she cried joyfully, wrapping her arms around the dark haired man in front of her.

Jonathan Crane was stunned. The obviously pregnant, curly haired woman who answered the door was hugging him. Him! A respected psychiatrist—unless you had been talking with Rachel Dawes, the ADA that was—being hugged by an unknown patient!

"Mrs. Rippner, I'm not Jackson," he said coolly after she stopped hugging him for a moment.

"You're not?" Lisa asked, confused. He had to be Jackson; he had to!

"I'm Dr. Jonathan Crane, remember?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized, her spirits crushed. "But you looked so much like him…"

"It's a common reaction from patients suffering for post-traumatic stress disorder," Jonathan said calmly as Lisa led the way into the extravagant house. He kept his glasses-covered blue eyes open for clues to Lisa's personality and her relationship with Jackson.

"What?"

"Post-traumatic stress disorder is a medical condition related to traumatic experiences. I believe that you might have it. Why it has taken so long to be diagnosed, I'm not sure," Jonathan clarified.

He spotted a few framed pictures upon the mantle of the fireplace once Lisa led him into the living room. He stopped in front of them and carefully examined the pictures. He could feel Lisa's green eyes boring into him, but he did not flinch or rush his examination.

All the photographs seemed to have been taken around the same time and all of them focused on two people—Lisa Rippner and the man he assumed was Jackson. Lisa was not pregnant in any of the photos, and Jackson assumed that they were taken several months ago, shortly before Jackson's death. He could see the resemblance between him and Jackson and he was slightly disturbed by it.

"What makes you think I have this disorder?" Lisa asked and he turned around to face her.

"Mrs. Rippner," sighed Jonathan Crane, as he walked over and sat down on a couch and removed his glasses. "You are showing all the classic signs of PTSD. I won't know the extent of it or what brings it on for some time. I'd like to help you though, if you want my help."

"You'll help me?" Lisa's voice was hopeful. Could he stop the pain? Could he help her forget Jackson? No… Jackson was sitting in front of her. "Jackson…?"

"Mrs. Rippner, it's Dr. Crane. I'm not Jackson, you're just seeing things."

"Jackson? Where are you?"

He decided to try a different tactic. "What are you seeing?" he questioned.

"Jackson," she said softly, grabbing Jonathan's hand. "You're here. You came back. Here, feel."

Jonathan was about to protest; yet Lisa had already place his hand on her round stomach. He could feel the baby inside her, and the child kicked his hand. He could not help but smile. It was so wrong that he was here, experiencing this while the baby's father was rotting in a grave because his wife killed him. Dr. Gruber had told him about Lisa's admittance to killing Jackson Rippner. Why, he did not know and he intended to find out.

"Lisa," Jonathan said, suddenly dropping all formality. "It—it kicked."

She smiled at him. "Yes, she did. It's your daughter, Jackson. Our daughter."

No, it was wrong to let her believe that he was Jackson. He had to stop it.

"Lisa, I'm not Jackson. It's Jonathan, Jonathan Crane. Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Stop lying, Jackson," she teased.

"I'm not."

Fear entered her green eyes. "You're not Jackson! Get away!" she screamed, jumping away from him.

"That's right. I'm Dr. Crane and I'm here to help you. I'm here to help you, Lisa," he said softly in a soothing tone to calm the distraught woman. He kept his distance for the moment.

"Help me, please," she begged. "He won't leave me alone!"

"Tell me."

"Jackson, he won't stop. He's in my head and he won't leave. I see him, he's accusing me of lying and he's strangling me. I see him everywhere. I thought, I thought you were him, but, but you're too nice," Lisa explained quickly, trying to recall as many scattered images as she could.

"Have you been having nightmares about him?" Jonathan asked and he saw Lisa nod.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry to ask this—I'm just trying to figure out his normal behavior—but did Jackson ever abuse you?"

"Yes and no," Lisa replied. "I had amnesia when we met again, after he tried to kill me. He convinced me that I was someone else and I believe him because I had feelings—an attraction—to him."

"Was he violent in the hospital?"

"No, far from it. He was kind and charming, and I loved him—yes, I really loved him. We were married and then we came here. Someone broke in and he lost it. He was rough and I started to remember what happened. We fought… we fought and I, I killed him!" Lisa sobbed.

"What is Jackson usually doing when you see him?" Jonathan prodded, though he knew he was asking strange questions. He should be letting her do the talking, not be trying to steer her in whatever direction he needed.

"He's just sitting beside me, talking to me, playing with my hair, or he's hurting me. Or it's that fight again…"

He knew he was rushing it, but he had to figure some things out while she was open to speaking with him. "Can you tell me how he died, Lisa?"

"No, I don't want to. I don't want to…" Lisa's voice trailed off and she started fighting an invisible force, and she slowly sank to the floor. "Dr. Crane! Dr. Crane! Help me! Jackson, no! I didn't mean to! I still love you! Jackson, please! You're hurting me!"

Jonathan knelt down beside her and pulled her hands from her throat. Lisa slowly stopped struggling and returned to normal, her eyes looking deep into his blue ones.

"Thank you for stopping him," she whispered. "Thank you, Dr. Crane."

**Author's Notes:**

I'm trying to make this believable, but I'm almost thinking that Dr. Crane will step over the lines in order to get what he wants. Enjoy!


	5. Chapter Five

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye _or_ Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Five**

Jonathan Crane was stunned. "It was no problem really," he muttered. The usually self-assured psychiatrist was suddenly unsure of what to do.

"I don't know what happened. One moment I was talking to you and the next Jackson was strangling me and calling me horrible names and saying that I didn't love him," Lisa said softly, slightly ashamed that she had been unable to keep Jackson away on her own.

Jackson was becoming more of a threat to her. He persisted in bothering her more and more, recently. When she saw him now, he was usually violent. She was afraid of what he might do to her and the distinction between reality and her mind was disappearing. She could no longer easily distinguish Jackson from being dead or being alive as he continued to torment her, regardless.

"It's okay. Seeing him is a common symptom of PTSD," Jonathan said assuredly. "I can help you get rid of the flashbacks of him if you want me to. It's going to be tough though. I won't lie to you. You're going to have to place a lot of trust me. My therapy methods can be somewhat unconventional."

Lisa nodded. She knew that she needed the help desperately. Everything was beyond her control now. She hated feeling this way. She wanted her life and sanity back which had both been ruthlessly stolen by Jackson. "I'll trust you" she agreed.

"Good. Now, I have a meeting to go to. Are you gonna be okay until I get back?" Jonathan's voice was genuinely concerned.

"I think so. Do you need a car?" she asked.

"Yes, I suppose I do," he replied.

"You can use Jackson's. It's parked in the garage and the keys are hanging on a hook near the door," Lisa offered.

"You don't have to..." Jonathan started to say.

"Take it," insisted Lisa. "Please."

"Okay," Jonathan agreed, nodding as he got up from the floor and left the room, trying to find his way to the garage. He must have succeeded because Lisa heard the garage door open.

She sighed and picked herself up off the floor. She lay down on the couch; her weary body too exhausted to head up the steps. Her eyes slowly closed and she prayed that Jackson would leave her alone for once and let her sleep as she desperately needed to clear her head.

* * *

Jonathan Crane knocked on the office door of Betsey Gruber a while later, hoping that she was still hanging around. He had promised that he would stop by, but that did not mean that the scatterbrained therapist would remember. How she had managed to become a licensed therapist was beyond him.

She was his ally in the medical world as she had known about his fascination with fear for many years now and had supported him with his research. Betsey supplied him with individuals to be treated on an out-patient basis for his experiments for the toxin that he was creating. She had sent Lisa to him for the same purpose as the others, not to mention that she believed Lisa Rippner to be criminally insane. But Betsey had always been afraid of the so-called crazies that he worked with.

Lisa Rippner was not insane though. But she would be a perfect specimen for his toxin, once her baby was born. Had she been anyone else, he would not have held off on the toxin like he was planning to. Yet the fact remained that he could not bring himself to harm his brother's widow.

Jackson Rippner was his long-lost twin brother who had run away at a young age. Jonathan had seen him once or twice over the years and found himself cleaning up his older brother's messes on occasion each time. He was quite grateful that Jackson had disappeared for the past few years and was actually pleased to find out that he was now deceased.

It was only out of respect for his brother that he was holding off on using Lisa as a test subject. She was his sister-in-law and even though he planned on using her, he felt that he owed it to her and Jackson to wait until the baby was born. He would have a niece in three months time.

"Oh, hello Jonathan," Betsey greeted him, opening the door to her office.

"Hello," he replied and entered the small outer office. "I must admit that I'm surprised that you're still here."

"Why wouldn't I be? I was waiting for you," smiled Betsey cheerfully. "Have a seat."

Jonathan settled his lanky frame onto one of the cushiony chairs that occupied the waiting room. It was far more comfortable to be in the outer office and it eliminated the awkward feeling of visiting a therapist in their office. He relaxed for a moment before getting down to business.

"Lisa Rippner is a fine candidate for the toxin," Jonathan remarked. "But just to be careful, I'm going to wait until the baby's born. I want her to trust me and I want to get to the depth of her problems before I expose her to the toxin."

"Sounds like a plan. She was a good find, huh?" she asked with a slight smile upon her face.

"You always know exactly what I want."

"I would hope so after all the time we've spent together, Jonathan. Tell me, why did we ever break-up?" she asked flirtatiously.

"Betsey, we've been over this before," sighed Jonathan, removing his glasses to massage his temples.

"I know, but still, we are a good pair," she insisted.

Jonathan did not feel like explaining how utterly stupid Betsey was and how that was the real reason why they could never be a couple. He used her to achieve his goals and nothing more. He enjoyed stringing her along and playing with her mind. One of these days, the fear toxin would be used on her. That was once she wore her welcome out.

"You know that I'm too busy with the development of the fear toxin," he lied. Well, it was technically a half-truth.

"I know." she said dejectedly.

"But once, Ra's is happy, we could re-think our relationship..." he said, putting false encouragement in his tone.

Betsey Gruber's face brightened and Jonathan vaguely wondered when he had become such a skilled manipulator like his dead brother. It must have been in the genes.

**Author's Notes:**

I'll hopefully have the next chapter up in another day or two, or next week. I'm supposed to be going away at some point this week, but my plans haven't been finalized yet. Enjoy! More about Jonathan's relationship with Betsey will be relieved soon.


	6. Chapter Six

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Six**

_Buzz… Buzz…_

Lisa jumped; startled by the sudden noise cutting through the air. What was going on?

_Buzz…_

Was it her alarm clock ringing? Damn, the darkness!

_Buzz…_

Nope, not the alarm clock. She was not in her bed. She was on the couch. So what could it be?

_Buzz…_

The gate! Someone was at the gate!

Lisa quickly lifted herself off the couch and rushed towards the door. She was not moving very quickly because she sleepy and pregnant women just did not move very fast to begin with. She reached the video surveillance screen just as the gate buzzed again.

"I'm coming!" she hissed at the continuing buzz. She was going to kill Jackson for installing that stupid gate.

Lisa looked at the video and noticed Jackson's silver Beemer in front of the gate with him sitting in it, looking rather annoyed. He must have forgotten the code to the gate. For a manager, he certainly had a bad memory. Maybe it helped him forget the evils that he had done.

Lisa buzzed the car through and shook her head before returning to the couch. Only Jackson…

She listened to the creaking of the garage door as it opened and then closed. At least he remembered to put the car away. A few moments later, the door from the garage opened and Lisa managed to make out a shadowy figure. She stayed still and quiet, hoping to scare Jackson as retribution for waking her. Sleep was hard to come by these days and it was common knowledge that she needed it. Being pregnant had made the people-pleasing hotel manager rather cranky.

He slipped past her, heading for the stairs. Now was the time.

"What, no goodnight kiss for the wife you woke up?" Lisa teased and he froze.

"Oh, Lisa…I'm sorry about that…" he muttered and she stood up again and waddled towards the stairs.

"I was only kidding, Jackson. I know you've got a lot on your mind."

"Yeah, true, true," he agreed and started to climb the stairs again.

"Jackson, why are you in such a hurry?" Lisa questioned, following him.

"I've got a lot to do in the morning," he replied, quickening his pace.

"Hey, it's not fair to have a foot race with the pregnant woman!"

"I'm sorry Lisa, I'm just exhausted…"

Jackson, exhausted? Since when had _he_ ever been tired? Usually he was the one still awake when she feel asleep and the first one up and moving about when she woke the following morning. Sometimes she had wondered if he had ever slept or if he just stayed up all night keeping watch over her like a loyal guard dog.

"Jackson, wait!" she called after him as he reached the top of the stairs.

He stopped and spun around to face her. In the dim moonlight provided by the window, she noticed a pair of glasses upon his face. Since when did Jackson wear glasses?

"When did you get glasses?" she asked.

* * *

Fear, delicious fear. He could smell it; taste it. Lisa Rippner had fear.

"Jackson?" she called and then repeated her question. "When did you get glasses?"

"I've always had them," Jonathan Crane replied with a smile.

Fear! Fear! She had fear!

Scarecrow wanted to feel her fear and he yearned to gas her and drink it in. He desperately wanted control over Jonathan so he could torment Lisa. Scarecrow knew she was fearful but of what? Jonathan was not entirely sure, but Scarecrow knew. And Scarecrow wanted to taste her dread.

"Oh, I guess I've never seen them before," she said hesitantly, as if she knew something was wrong. As if she knew he was not Jackson like he was letting her believe.

Fear! Fear!

"I'm not a big fan of them." He said chillingly.

"They make you look…different." Lisa remarked.

Her fear was growing and she was worried now. Had she remembered that Jackson was dead? Or was she thinking that he was impersonating her dead husband?

Lisa's voice quivered as she spoke. "You're not Jackson, are you?"

Shit, she knew. And she was afraid. Very afraid. He could feel Scarecrow rising up and wanting her fear…

"Scarecrow." he smirked, shoving her into a wall and placing a hand on her throat.

"No, no…"

Terror was consuming her.

"No…Jackson, don't. Please don't!" she pleaded with him.

Her fingernails dug into his hand and wrist. He tightened his grip and she thrashed; growing more fearful with every passing second.

Fear, Scarecrow loved fear. This was the first time in a long time that without the benefit of the toxin that he was able to draw fear from a person and feed off of it.

"Tell me what you fear, Lisa. Tell me all about your fears. Are you afraid of me?" he hissed, a smile plastered upon his shadowy face. He was consumed by darkness on the inside as well as the outside.

"Yes, Jackson, I'm afraid. Please, please don't hurt me. The baby…Jackson, think about the baby!"

Scarecrow wanted to hear her scream. He wanted to toss Lisa Rippner down the precarious flight of stairs. He wanted to continue to feel the waves of horror that radiated from her.

Jonathan fought against Scarecrow's hold. He could not permit Scarecrow to hurt her. He had promised himself not to hurt the baby. Hurting Lisa now would undue his silent oath and he owed Jackson that much. He owed it to his brother to let his child grow up, even if it was without a mother, because in a few months, he would relish driving Lisa insane.

He yanked his hand from her throat and stalked away, leaving Lisa gasping for breath in the hallway.

**Author's Notes:**

I thought I'd try and get a chapter out before I leave for a few days. I probably won't get another chapter up until April 3rd or 4th at the earliest. I'll write when I can, but I won't have internet or the time to update until the middle of the first week of April. And thanks to emptyvocies for convincing me to post this! Enjoy!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Seven**

Jackson… why was he hurting her? One moment they had both been heading upstairs and then… he changed. He suddenly lashed out at her.

Lisa knew that she had been too close to the edge of stairs for her safety to be assured. If Jackson had shoved her just precisely, then she would have fallen. The fall down the flight of stairs could potentially kill her and it would kill the child in her without a doubt; Jackson's child. He could have ruthlessly killed his own child and her easily.

Jackson…could Jackson have really done that? Could he have carelessly tossed her down the steps, possibly taking her life and definitely ending his daughter's before it even began? Was he really that cold and cruel?

Or, had it not been Jackson? Had her nightmares created someone who looked like Jackson, yet was not? Had she been mistaken in the dark? If so, who was in her house?

Lisa was frightened for her life and the life of her baby. She had sworn to protect the baby at all costs. She knew her sanity was hanging on by a thread, yet she clung desperately to reason. She owed it to Jackson to give their child a chance, even if she did not have a chance at normalcy.

Wait… wait… what?

Why did she owe him anything? He was tormenting her!

Then, she remembered the painful truth. She had killed him. She had taken his life because she could not take it any longer. She loved him… She loved him too much. Too much to let him live… too much to forget. Far too much to move on and let the past go.

Lisa sobbed; releasing the frustration, the anger, and the tears. She accepted the pain because she had to. She had to learn to move on past what had happened.

After all, Jackson was dead. Jackson was dead.

She had to let go. She had to move on for their daughter's sake.

Lisa murdered him. Jackson was dead… dead.

"You're dead!" she screamed loudly between heart-wrenching cries. "You're dead! I killed you! I killed you, Jackson! Now leave me alone!"

She was pathetic and she knew it. She must have finally lost it. She was now yelling at a dead man.

No, not Jackson… Scarecrow… he said Scarecrow…

Fear! He wanted to know all about her fears. He asked if she were afraid of him. Scarecrow was his name—he had told her so when she confronted him. When he was strangling her just ten minutes earlier…

Glasses… he had glasses. Crane… Jonathan Crane...

Lisa laughed lightly. She must have been seeing things! Dr. Crane would never have hurt her. He was not like Jackson. He helped her. He had saved her from Jackson earlier.

Dr. Crane was a good man. He was going to help her end the nightmares. He was going to help her forget all about Jackson. He simply had too.

**Author's Notes:**

Just a quick chapter! I'll hopefully have another chapter up in another day or two. I just finished a killer AP exam, so it's gonna take a day or two for my brain to return to normal. Enjoy!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye or Batman Begins_

**Chapter Eight**

Jonathan Crane had been rather surprised when he passed a sleeping Lisa in the hallway the following morning. She was lying in the same spot that he had left her after dealing with Scarecrow. Her body was curled up tightly—as tightly as a woman at her stage of pregnancy could get and she was perched near the edge of the stairs. Luckily, she had not fallen down the stairs, or else Jonathan would have regretted not checking on her. True, dealing with Scarecrow was time-consuming, but as her doctor, he had a duty to Lisa. Well, he had a familial obligation as well.

"Mrs. Rippner?" he asked quietly, bending down to touch her shoulder gently. "Lisa?"

"No!" Lisa cried out in alarm, sitting up, and as a result, cracking her head against the wall. "Ah!" She yelped in pain putting her hand to her head.

Jonathan helped her sit up slowly and then stand. Concern showed deeply in his blue eyes. "You should go lie down."

"No… no… I can't." She tried to protest.

"Come on, I'll help you to the bed. Then I'll get you some breakfast, hmm?"

"No… I'm fine. You don't have to do anything," Lisa said, shaking her head.

"Hey, don't fight me. I'm just trying to help you, Lisa. Will you let me do that?" He asked gently.

She nodded softly, leaning heavily upon him as he guided her into the master bedroom and helped her climb into bed and covering her with blankets. Once she seemed settled, he turned and headed downstairs.

He was hardly the domestic sort as he could barely cook without burning even the crappy microwave dinners he was accustomed to eating and somehow he had signed himself up to prepare breakfast. He sighed in frustration. Why had he been so quick to make that offer?

Jonathan hurried around the kitchen, attempting to find food that he could possibly make edible for Lisa. If she had not been critical to his plan, then he would not have bothered. He would have left her in the hallway and walked past her without a second thought. But he needed her for the experiment with his newly developed toxin and he had unknowingly taken her on as a patient before realizing the relationship to his dead brother.

Blood was thicker than water, or in this case, toxin.

Lisa's needs trumped his. She was the important part of his experiment. She was his only patient that still had part of her sanity intact. She would remain sane even after he erased his brother's influence on her. Jackson had always been a sick bastard, and she was proof of it. Her mind had been destroyed by his twin. Not that he would leave it alone when the time came but he relished the idea of restoring her sanity only to break it once more.

As for the problem of his unborn niece, Uncle Jonathan would gladly taken her in and raise her as his own child when Lisa Rippner unfortunately lost her mind.

A twisted smile crossed his face. Lisa had no clue what was going to happen. He had her trapped and she had not a clue. She was helpless and he would enjoy her fear-induced panic and the euphoria of her accompanying screams.

* * *

_Jonathan was a nice person, he really was_. Lisa thought. He was going out of his way to be kind to her. None of her other therapists had ever done as much for her as Dr. Crane had. And they had yet to begin a single session and had not begun to discuss price. Not that money was an issue. Jackson had handled their finances brilliantly leaving Lisa with nothing to worry about.

It was still strange to see Jonathan. He reminded her of Jackson at times—they both looked eerily similar. But she knew that they were two completely different people and Jonathan was there to help her while Jackson had harmed her, all under the guise of 'love'.

Love; where had that useless emotion gotten her?

Love caused her to murder her husband in cold blood. Love got her pregnant with a child she had never expected. Love betrayed her and made her distrustful.

What was love but a needless worry? An added stress to an already stressed life. Unneeded, yet a burden all the same.

Jonathan would help her. Yes, he would aide her in forgetting the disaster with Jackson and he would show her the mistake that loving Jackson was and what it had done to her. He would end the nightmares and the pain. He would help her figure out what to do with the unplanned child and help her cope.

"Lisa?" His smooth voice came through the door and she turned to see him, immaculately dressed and carrying a tray of food. "Breakfast?"

"Oh, thank you so much, Dr. Crane. I'm starving!" She smiled at him, her stomach growling at the sight of food.

"It was no problem."

Piled on the breakfast tray was a glass of orange juice, a bowl of some sugary cereal that she had a craving for, an apple from the fruit basket, and a yogurt smoothie. Apparently the psychiatrist had no cooking skills, much like Lisa. Her specialty had always been scrambled eggs, but she had still managed to burn those from time to time.

She appreciated the trouble that he had surely gone to. He really had not needed to run around scrounging up food for her as she could have eventually done it herself. She was not an invalid.

Despite her strong feelings that this show of kindness from her therapist was unnecessary, Lisa dug into her breakfast, hunger overtaking logic.

**Author's Notes:**

Nothing to say, except that I'm going to try have another chapter out soon. Enjoy!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Nine**

A while later, after Lisa had showered and dressed for the day, she sat down to her first real therapy session with Dr. Crane. They sat in her living room, him with a notepad open upon his lap and a pen in hand while she relaxed on a couch across from him. His eyes focused intently on hers.

"Everything is starting to fall apart." She murmured despairingly.

"Can you tell me what you feel is wrong?" Jonathan questioned.

"He's everywhere. He won't leave me alone. I'm always afraid that he's going to hurt the baby or me. He can switch from being kind to a killer in a heartbeat," Lisa explained calmly. She was always calm at the beginning of a session and his presence was soothing to her.

"When does he bother you most?"

"At night and when I'm feeling lonely. It's usually when I'm the most alone that I think about him. I often wonder if I could have done something differently. If I could have learned to live with him and he'd still be here today."

Jonathan nodded and jotted some notes down on the pad. He never once had to look down at the paper in his hands.

"Why do you wonder about that?"

"I had a choice. I could kill him or let him control me and get away with what he had done. He knew that he would've never let me go. It's not his style. Once he knew about the baby, there would have really been no mistake. He would have hurt, even killed the baby to prevent me from leaving. I was a possession; just a mere toy to him," she sighed. As the memories surged back, Lisa started to hurt, but so far Jackson was leaving her alone. If only it would stay that way. "I never wanted to kill him, but I knew I should. I knew I had to do it."

"Would he have killed you if you did not kill him?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes…he could have. He would have done anything to keep me prisoner."

She took a shaky deep breath. The memories were beginning to catch up to her. Jackson was so kind in the beginning until she saw the cruelty beneath the surface.

_"I swear, I won't let anyone hurt you again," Jackson whispered to her in the hospital._

Liar. Jackson had lied to her since the very beginning. From the moment that she had met him, deceit had been his primary weapon.

"Lisa?" Jonathan was calling her name. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Lisa muttered. "Just lost in thought."

"About?"

"Him. He said he never lied and he promised never to hurt me. But he did! He betrayed me!" She exclaimed.

"How would you say he betrayed you?" He inquired as he steered the conversation, driven by a need for information.

"Lying. He lied. I don't know if everything was a lie or if he really loved me. I won't ever know. I don't even know who Jackson Rippner was!" She murmured, confusion lacing her tone.

Jonathan of course knew exactly who Jackson was. He could tell her stories about his twin brother that would make her hair curl more than it already did. He knew the truth about his brother and his descent into madness.

"Who was he to you?" He asked.

"He was a friend and a shoulder to lean on when I needed him. He supported me but he used me at the same time. For moments only, he was my husband… I can't describe him because I never got a chance to figure him out," Lisa sighed, exasperated.

"Do you still love him? Even after everything?" Jonathan inquired.

"Yes, I loved him very much. I never got the chance to really tell him how I truly felt. I told him in the hospital, yet it wasn't the same. I never told him that I loved him once my memory returned. I felt too dirty and betrayed to tell him."

Jonathan was nodding again. The repetition of it annoyed Lisa.

"I think that's enough for today," He said softly, snapping the notepad closed. "I need sometime to consider what you told me."

* * *

What the hell had Jackson done to her? How heartless had his twin really been?

Jonathan really had his hands full with her. Her mind was thoroughly damaged to begin with. Even if he managed to restore her sanity, what kind of results could he expect with the toxin? Was it worth all the effort on his part to heal her mind only for the brief moments it would take to destroy it once more? Could he devote the time to her?

Jackson. What would he have wanted Jonathan to do? Jack would have wanted Jonathan to care for her just as he once did. Jack would've told him to fix Lisa. Even though he was the one who hurt her in the first place.

He would not be able to heal her in his short stay in Miami. Jonathan would be forced to take her back to Gotham even though Miami wasn't terribly far for him to drive. In her mental state and with the pregnancy, he didn't want to take a chance of leaving her unattended at her home. When he returned, Lisa would be coming with him.

Whether she wanted to or not.

**Author's Notes:**

The drive to Gotham isn't far, but Jonathan was flying into Miami from elsewhere, not Gotham. Big thanks to emptyvoices! Enjoy, and the next chapter should be up shortly.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Ten**

Jonathan returned to the living room after barely an hour had passed. He had known for some time what he was going to do, but he had to keep up a certain facade around Lisa. She could not know of his true intentions at this point. He had to build a foundation of trust with her before his true purposes could be revealed. He was not completely unlike his brother, even though they had detested each other.

Jackson had always been the rebel. He was the one who was always in hot water with their parents and in trouble with the law. Jonathan clearly remembered many times where he had been the one to save Jackson's ass. Being the older of the two, Jackson typically was supposed to have been the smarter of the two, when in fact, Jonathan had significantly more intelligence. Jonathan always did all the work while Jackson slacked off and received all the credit.

Fortunately for Jonathan, Jackson had run away in high school, shortly before Jonathan became obsessed with studying the concepts of fear. It was not long after Jackson's disappearance that Jonathan committed his first murder. It was an accident, but his preoccupation with fear had driven him to brandish a gun in the first place. It was not his fault that the car crash occurred. He had merely provided the means by which to scare the passengers which caused the other car to spiral out of control.

Without having to worry about Jackson constantly, Jonathan had been able to focus his efforts on psychology and his study of fear. What had happened to his twin brother never bothered him once until Lisa Rippner had entered his life.

He mourned the loss of his brother but only to an extent that he lost a worthy candidate for his experiments. It would have interesting to infect Jackson with the toxin and see what his 'fearless' and emotionless twin was afraid of. He knew that Lisa was deathly afraid of Jackson harming her, but he wondered if there were underlying fears that haunted her. He also was secretly aching to test the toxin on a sane subject.

Lisa…his dead brother's wife. His patient because of his inept twin's unraveling mind. A beautiful woman that was unknowingly a part of his scheme with Ra's al Ghul.

"Can you help me, Dr. Crane?" Lisa questioned him worriedly. A mild expression of terror was written across her face. He could tell that she wanted him to treat her.

He sighed and removed his glasses as he sank into the couch across from her. "Well…"

"Please! You have to help me! You have to stop Jackson!" she begged desperately. "Please, Dr. Crane!"

He smirked on the inside. Lisa was making this entire situation far too easy. If she were so eager to receive his help, then he would be only to willing to oblige her.

"I will help you, Lisa, but you are going to have to trust me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I'll do whatever you want! Just help me stop him!"

Jackson had done an excellent job with dismantling her fragile mind. The poor woman was clueless. Couldn't she see that he was far worse than his brother ever was? Was she really that blind?

"I know that this a lot to ask, but when I return to Gotham in a few days, I need you to come with me." He told her firmly.

"You mean leave Miami?" Lisa inquired in disbelief, suddenly weary of him. Was she seeing Jackson again?

"Yes. Ideally, I would come here every day, but in reality, you need more help than I could provide in this setting. I would be unable to treat you effectively here and to keep the visions of Jackson from reoccurring." He said, allowing his voice to soften.

"So, what do you suggest?" Lisa asked with trepidation.

"Lisa, I want you to come and stay with me in Gotham, where I can keep an eye on you and treat you more intensely. You need not worry about the baby because I know some excellent obstetricians in the city." Jonathan said reassuringly.

"If I come, can you promise to stop Jackson? You've done so much more than anyone else has ever done before."

"I promise, Lisa. I promise to stop Jackson."

_And replace him with myself in your nightmares._ He added silently.

Lisa nodded. "Okay, I'll come with you."

"Excellent," Jonathan Crane smiled. Scarecrow was pleased with him and Lisa was putty in his hands. He had a good feeling about this.

**Author's Notes:**

Of course, his good feeling isn't going to last long. Lisa's going to still revolt against him. Enjoy! Next chapter soon! Thanks for all the reviews—they make my day!


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Eleven**

After speaking with Lisa about her upcoming move to Gotham City, Jonathan excused himself saying that he had to attend a meeting. He drove into the city and returned several hours later after it was dark. He had previously asked Lisa for the gate code and she had willingly given it to him. Now he did not need to be concerned about waking her.

He silently moved through the house and headed upstairs to his room and changed into his pajamas. Jonathan was just about to climb into his cozy and inviting bed when his blasted cell phone rang. He cursed and answered the device.

"Dr. Crane," he said, sighing as he tried in vain to disguise his annoyance.

"Hello again, Dr. Crane. Are you somewhere private?" A distinguished voice asked.

It was Ra's al Ghul, his employer who had directed Jonathan in the creation of the fear toxin._ Has the deadline changed?_ He wondered.

"Just one moment." Crane said, slipping out of his room and hurrying down the tiled hallway. He could not risk Lisa overhearing his conversation.

Thankfully, Jackson had soundproofed his office, which Jonathan had stumbled across the previous evening and he felt grateful that he would not have to worry about Lisa accidentally listening in. He entered the room pausing to flick the dimmed lights on and kicked the door partially closed untroubled by the fact that he did not hear it shut. The noise caused by a slamming door would surely rouse Lisa from her slumber.

"Mr. al Ghul? The line is secure," Jonathan said reassuringly to his boss, and the leader of the ultra-secret League of Shadows.

"Good…good."

* * *

"Jackson?" Lisa called out as she sat upright in the large bed. "Jackson?"

He must have gotten up at some point. She softly touched his side of the bed and it still contained some essence of warmth from his body heat. She knew that she would not be able to rest until she found him and subsequently dragged him back to bed. She needed him near her to keep the nightmares at bay. She couldn't have killed him, yet she still had nightmares where she did.

_His blue eyes were cold and lifeless as he laid on the ground, his limbs askew and his neck broken. His gaze was accusing, convicting her of the crime she knew she committed._

_"Lisa, what have you done?" his voice would ask, his tone slightly teasing, yet still angry. "I loved you."_

"Jackson?" she cried out, slowly lifting herself from the bed. "Where are you?"

Her bare feet slapped against the wooden floors soundlessly. Lisa exited the bedroom and wandered down the darkened hallway to Jackson's office. He just might be there.

A voice was somewhat muffled by the half-closed, thick wooden door. It sounded almost like Jackson. Quietly, she pushed the door open, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim lights. He was standing with his back to her; his dark hair sticking up at odd angles.

"Yes, uh huh. Yes, I'll be back in a few days. Do not worry. It'll be done on time, I promise. Good-bye," he said politely and snapped a cell phone closed. He turned around and froze, seemingly surprised to see her standing there. "Lisa…"

"Jackson, I couldn't sleep. It's the nightmares again," she explained sighing, taking a few steps towards him.

"Which ones?" Jonathan inquired, and he began to close the gap between them.

"The ones where I kill you. I'd never do that. I love you, Jackson." Lisa whispered as she buried her head into his dark night shirt. His arms wrapped around her as she clung to him. She was being extremely weak and she knew it. But she could not help it.

"I know, Lisa. I know." he said reassuringly. "How about we go back to bed now, Hmm?"

Lisa nodded and Jonathan ushered her down the hallway. He knew that what he was doing was wrong, but he had his reasons. Plus, Lisa might give 'Jackson' clues that would help him treat her properly. She froze however, when they neared a large glass window beside her bedroom.

"Get away!" she suddenly screamed, jumping away from him and his reassuring grip. "Stay away from me!"

"Lisa, what's wrong? What do you see?" Jonathan inquired, his tone concerned. She was suffering a break from reality.

"You're dead, you died. I shot you right here!" Her green eyes filled with fear as they focused on him as she indicated the window and the floor where Jackson had fallen to his death.

"Why, Lisa?" he asked.

"I loved you too much, Jackson. It hurt too much. But you were too controlling and too demanding. It had to end," Lisa sobbed, breaking down. "Please, let me be!"

Jonathan backed away and Lisa fled into her room, slamming the door behind her as if that simple barrier would shield her from the nightmares that haunted her. He sighed and shuffled away toward his room. At least he had found out a few triggers for her memories.

He knew where Jackson had died now. Something about that window reminded Lisa of killing Jackson. Had she shot him there?

There were too many questions and too few answers. It was best to get some sleep and deal with Lisa Rippner in the morning.

**Author's Notes:**

Just another quick chapter to show a break from reality which will led to Lisa's fighting back in the next chapter. Enjoy!


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Twelve**

When Lisa woke the following morning, Jonathan Crane was in her bedroom, packing up her belongings. _What the hell was going on?_

"Good morning," he said pleasantly, turning his head to smile at her.

"Jonathan, what… what are you doing?"

"Packing. We're leaving shortly. I've got to head back sooner than I planned."

"But…" she started to protest.

"Lisa, I'm sorry, but I can better treat you in Gotham. I just want to help you."

Why then did she suddenly doubt him? He was helping her. He would not be making her move if he was not trying to help her. She sighed and slowly got out of the comfortable bed. Thankfully, he was almost finished packing for her.

_How does he even know what to pack? _She wondered. Lisa had no clue and really did not want to know.

"What can I do to help?" she asked as she watched him rapidly pack her clothes.

"Hmm, I've got everything together here, so if you could just get dressed and be prepared to leave then we should be fine." Jonathan said as he smiled at her in some unnerving way, which seemed almost false.

Lisa nodded and returned the smile hesitantly. She grabbed a cozy outfit and slipped into the adjoining bathroom. Jonathan had yet to pack up the supplies in the bathroom. Her fingertips traveled along the marble sink top and she came across Jackson's meager belongings. She had been unable to throw any of his stuff away, despite knowing that it no longer had a place or purpose.

His cologne, aftershave, shaving supplies, and a toothbrush lay beside the sink in neat little rows. She tentatively picked up his comb that he used for his long hair, which still had a strand or two of dark hair remaining. Jackson had always liked to keep everything in order. She could remember teasing him about having a touch of OCD. He would always deny it, but she knew now after everything that OCD was the very least of Jackson's many and varied problems.

A deep sigh escaped her. How could she leave all of this behind? This house was filled with his presence and both good and bad memories of him. Did she really want to forget about him and go with Jonathan? Lisa knew that she wanted him to stop hurting her, but did that mean that she was willing to forget him completely?

Lisa slipped into the stretchy jeans and loose top. She could not leave Jackson behind, could she?

Still unsure, she returned to her bedroom, where Jonathan was fighting with the zipper on a suitcase. Her green eyes flicked to the closet as she saw that one side was completely bare, yet all of Jackson's clothes were still hanging. It seemed as if any moment he would walk through the door and give her a hug and kiss her. The world would be right once more.

"Lisa, what are you doing?" Crane inquired as she pulled a pinstriped suit jacket from a hanger in the closet. She held the fabric close to her face, breathing in the scent of Jackson.

"I can't leave," Lisa told him, shaking her head sadly. She felt badly because he had gone to an extraordinary amount of trouble to pack for her. "I'm sorry, but I just can't."

Jonathan was at her side in a flash. "Lisa, you have to come. You need treatment. I'm worried about you."

"I can't leave Jackson," she whispered.

"Jackson's dead. You killed him. He's not coming back, no matter what you do. Think about your baby, Lisa."

"I won't leave!" Lisa cried, stepping away from Jonathan. She had to stay there! He was lying! Jackson was still alive! He would be home any moment now and he would be upset if she was gone.

"Lisa, as your doctor, I'm ordering you to leave. This is for your own good." He grabbed her arms, ripping Jackson's coat from her grasp, as he stared down at her; his blue eyes were cold and filled with malice.

"I can't leave! I won't leave! Jackson will be mad!" she protested, fighting his strong grip.

Jonathan shook her lightly, trying not to injury her or the baby she was carrying but he desperately needed her to come with him.

"Jackson's dead, Lisa. He's haunting you. He wants to hurt the baby."

"No! Stop lying to me!"

Lisa ripped her arms free and dashed away from Jonathan. She pulled her .45 out from under the pillow as she passed the bed and headed into the hallway. He was scaring her now.

"Lisa!" Jonathan called after her, his footsteps echoing on the floor as he ran. She started trembling.

His lanky frame was in front of the window. She could hear Jackson's voice in her head.

"_Gonna hit my heart next, Lisa? The heart that constantly thinks of you?" he teased, his melodic voice echoing._

Blood, she could see blood seeping into the floor. She could hear gunshots. The crackling of glass as the window shattered.

"Lisa, please, put the gun down." Jonathan was speaking to her.

Jonathan…or was he Jackson?

_Cold eyes, frozen in death's icy grip. A broken neck. Blood on the stone patio. Jackson…Jackson was dead._

She had killed him, just like Jonathan had said. Right there, in front of the window where Jonathan now stood. She had killed him on that very spot.

The gun clattered to the floor and she began to sob. Jonathan rushed to her side and she buried her face into his shirt. He stroked her back in an attempt to soothe her. Her fingers dug into the soft material of his clothes.

"Ssh, it's okay now," he said calmly. "Everything's fine now, Lisa."

"Please, don't ever leave me, Jonathan. Please take me with you! I can't stay here!"

**Author's Notes:**

I originally had a more violent fight planned, but then I remembered that Lisa's six months pregnant and can't do as much fighting as she normally would have done. She was more likely to flee and turn the tables that get physical for fear of harming the baby or just plain because she can't. Her mind's really gone. Enjoy and major thanks to emptyvoices for helping out! Happy Easter everyone!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Thirteen**

Jonathan could still remember his first road trip to Gotham. It had been with Jackson of course, and it had been the reason for his move there. Now, many years had passed and he was returning home with his dead brother's wife.

_Jackson was already a well-known delinquent at the tender age of fourteen. His first major offense on his record of petty theft, blackmail, public brawls, and other minor offenses, was Grand Theft Auto. _

_Of course, he took his impressionable younger twin, Jonathan, along for the ride in the BMW, the car he hot-wired from under some rich smuck's nose. How Jackson had learned to hot-wire a car, let alone drive, Jonathan never managed to figure out._

_The joy ride to Gotham City had been anything but jubilant. By the time the twins reached Gotham, Jackson and Jonathan had been arguing for at least twenty minutes. Jackson was driving through the Narrows when, enraged, he pitched Jonathan from the moving car. Jonathan was deserted in the Narrows and it was rapidly growing dark. _

_He was lost in a strange place and the one person he depended on was gone. Ever since their parents' death, Jackson had always taken care of him. They were in foster care, but Jackson kept getting them shuffled around every time Jonathan started to settle in. Jackson loved control, even as a teenager._

_An imposing structure came into view as Jonathan proceeded down the ominous streets. It was Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane and as he stood there gazing at the building, he knew that one day in the future, he would rule it. Arkham was to become his home._

_He never saw Jackson again, but it did not bother him in the slightest._

"Jonathan?" Lisa's voice broke his train of thought.

"Hmm?" he murmured, trying to keep his eyes partially obscured behind his glasses, on the road. He did not want to risk an accident that could end up hurting Lisa as he needed her and the baby for his toxin experiment.

"When can we have another session? Jackson's starting to bother me again."

"Tonight, Lisa. We can have another session later tonight after I drop by work."

"Work? You have to go to work?" Lisa sounded surprised.

"Just for a few minutes. I have to check on a few things. Don't worry your pretty head about it." He said soothingly.

"Jonathan, please take me with you. I don't want to be alone with him," she pleaded, shivering slightly in fear.

Scarecrow became roused and anxious. He wanted to expose Lisa to the fear toxin now, but Jonathan knew that he had to wait. Lisa's fragile state was not meant for the volatile toxin. It needed to be perfected before he tested it on his new pet. That's what she was to him. Merely a pet, nothing more. Lisa had to stay that way; otherwise, Jonathan would never be able to experiment on her as he needed to. He wanted to explore her mind that was free of disease to better understand how his medicine effects the human brain.

"I will take you, but you need to follow my lead. I do not usually take my outpatients in with me. You will need to pretend to be my assistant, all right?" Jonathan asked calmly and deliberately. It was his intent to take her along the whole time and he had developed a cover story for her in advance. He needed to be able to get her in and out of Arkham without any problems.

"Okay, I trust you," Lisa said smiling in relief.

* * *

Jonathan helped Lisa from the silver car and up the steps into Arkham Asylum. The fortress of the mental institution seemed chilling to Lisa, whereas it always felt welcoming to Jonathan. He reassured her with a gentle whisper and they entered the depressing building without any further hesitation on Lisa's part.

"Hello Dr. Crane," greeted a nurse warmly as they passed the main security checkpoint.

"Hello Silvia," he said cheerfully with a false smile, which was a habit that he had picked up from his brother.

"Who's this?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes sharply at Lisa. Her gaze seemed to linger on her round stomach, clearly suspicious of the obviously pregnant woman who was clinging to Jonathan's side.

"This is Lisa Rippner and she's going to be my new assistant." He responded.

The nurse clearly did not approve of Lisa. Silvia apparently thought that they were romantically involved and most likely believed that Jonathan had fathered the baby. _If only she really knew…_

"Come along, Lisa," Jonathan said pleasantly, ignoring the scowl from his underling as he led Lisa away.

"She doesn't like me," Lisa whispered once they were a safe distance away.

"She doesn't really like anyone," he said stoically in reply. "It's no secret that she hates me."

"Ah, that explains a lot."

**Author's Notes:**

Just a quick chapter! Enjoy and please leave a review! Major thanks to emptyvoices for her help!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Fourteen**

Once they ventured deeper into Arkham Asylum, Lisa refused to leave Jonathan's side. She clung to him; her fingers curled into the folds of his dark suit jacket. She did not appear to be frightened of her surroundings, but she seemed to be greatly comforted by hanging on to him. It was her greatest fear that the kind man beside her was only a dream and that if she dared to let go, even for a brief moment, he might disappear.

Jonathan did not mind her neediness and he rather enjoyed the sense of empowerment that his new 'pet' gave him. That's exactly what Lisa was to him; just a glorified lab rat that happened to need his help. He needed to restore her mind first, before she could be of any use to him.

As they neared Jonathan's office, he stopped and turned to speak to her and her grip upon him tightened as a reflex.

"Lisa, I need to go and check on my patients' medication. It's not safe for the baby or for you to come with me." He told her.

"Where do I go then? Please, don't leave me!" Lisa sounded weak; appearing frailer than he had expected her to become at this kind of rate. _Has she always been this helpless?_

"You can stay in my office and I'll lock the door so that no one can harm you. I promise that I will return quickly. You have nothing to fear. Jackson can't touch you here," he said reassuringly.

"Okay," she conceded.

Jonathan smiled and they continued onward. He helped her into his office and flipped on the lights. The dark room quickly became bright and Lisa took a deep, quavering breath.

"Come over here," he instructed her, leading the fatigued woman to a nice plush couch that he had spent many nights upon; worn out from his never-ending research into improving his toxin. "Lie down."

Lisa did as she was ordered to do. She was exhausted and unable to find the energy or will to disagree with him. Not that she felt the need to contest with Jonathan over such trivial matters. She trusted him not to lead her astray. He was her doctor and would not knowingly bring her to harm.

"Jonathan…?"

"Yes, Lisa?" Jonathan cocked his head her direction as he was heading towards the door.

"Will you at least wait until I fall asleep?" she asked him softly. Her green eyes seemed already distant as a wave of fatigue overcome her.

"Of course."

Jonathan Crane spun around neatly and sat down in a chair across from the couch. Lisa smiled up at him slightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

He did not even bother to reply because Lisa had already fallen fast asleep. He quietly got up and slipped out of his office. He locked the heavy door behind him on the outside. He was the only person on the premises with the key to the door and Lisa was effectively locked in. Her mind seemed not to dwell on that situation however.

If he worried about leaving a pregnant woman alone on his office couch in Arkham Asylum, Jonathan appeared not to show it. He purposefully strode down to the basement where the toxin was being produced; his rapid stride coming in handy for once. Out of sheer habit rather than necessity, Jonathan checked around to make sure that he was alone before setting down to work with his import of the blue flowers where the toxin was derived. The chemical was far from the stage of preparedness needed for mass production and he was running out of time. Lisa Rippner was the final piece of an intricate puzzle, and hopefully he would be ready to test a near-finalized toxin on her shortly after his niece was born.

Depending upon Lisa's mental state following his testing, he would decide accordingly how best to deal with her child. He was still seriously considering raising the baby as his own to groom her to take his place eventually as director of Arkham and to stand at his side until then. He stubbornly refused to let her take after her bastard of a father. Jackson Rippner did not deserve a wife such as Lisa, nor the privilege of creating a new life in this chaotic world.

All that his twin brother had ever deserved was a violent death and a new home six feet under. Lisa had given both to him, but not before becoming emotionally invested in her dealings with him and allowing him to slowly destroy her fragile mind at the same time.

"Ah!" Jonathan choked, accidentally spraying himself with the fear toxin. The fumes wreaked havoc upon his mind and the obnoxious voice of Scarecrow piped up.

'_Fear… I taste it, I smell it, I crave it… Give me fear…'_

Jonathan gagged; the bitter taste of the gas making him nauseous.

'_What? Don't you want to play?'_

"No…"

'_Why aren't you screaming, Jonathan? Everyone else screams…'_

"No… I won't."

'_What about your new plaything? Should we make her scream? She's afraid—I can feel it… Sweet, delicious fear… She's drowning in it…'_

"No!" protested Jonathan hoarsely. "Not Lisa! We don't touch her!"

'_Who then, Jonathan? Who shall we have our fun with?'_

Jonathan honestly did not care. He only wanted Scarecrow to disappear and let him work in peace. He was not going to let Scarecrow touch Lisa yet and the last thing he wanted to do was to expose her before she or the toxin was ready. She was the ultimate test which meant his success or failure was completely dependant upon her reactions to his experiments. It was a risk not to be taken lightly.

Truth be told, he could have found a random test subject in Gotham, but he preferred to use Lisa. He would know exactly how her mind functioned before he examined the effects of the toxin and he would cure her from Jackson's constricting hold on her and then finally he could have his amusement.

Until then, he would have to deal with the insane patients and annoying staff. And tonight, he felt like tormenting the members of his staff. Silvia seemed like a good place to start…

**Author's Notes:**

I'm finally getting back to this story! No more AP to worry about, which means my only reason for attending school now, is to hopefully pass Algebra II. I've got a lot more time on my hands, so I should hopefully be finishing up this story soon and moving onto the sequel to it which will tie up all the events begun in Sometimes… Enjoy! And big thanks to emptyvoices!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Fifteen**

Lisa was dozing when a worn out Jonathan returned to his office. He did not wish to wake her from her peaceful slumber as she needed a generous amount of sleep at this late stage of her pregnancy. He removed his jacket and gently covered her upper body with it to protect her from the constant chill of the asylum.

"Jackson," she mumbled, a faint smile appearing upon her face as she shifted slightly under the newly-acquired jacket.

"Sleep, Lisa," he whispered, removing his eyeglasses and setting them aside upon his desk after dimming the lights. Once satisfied with the lighting, he settled down into the chair situated across from Lisa.

He observed her sleeping form, cheerfully noting that she slept rather well compared to her previous sleeping patterns he had read in her file and experienced. He enjoyed watching her and he was sure Jackson had done the very same thing when he first met her.

Jonathan could easily see how Lisa had managed to melt his brother's frigid heart as there was something utterly endearing and real about Lisa Rippner. She could see the "good" in people and completely ignore the "bad". She was far too trusting for her own good, despite what she had been through.

"Jackson?" She sounded pitiful once more.

"I'm here, Lisa," he replied softly, his eerie blue eyes piercing the darkness of the office.

At night, he was Jackson to her. During the day, he was her savior, Jonathan Crane. To his staff he was the unapproachable Dr. Crane and to a large majority of his patients, he was only known as Scarecrow. Silvia Monroe had been added to the list of his patients thanks to Scarecrow.

"Talk to me. Where've you been hiding?"

"I never left, Lisa. I'm still here."

Lying to Lisa was fun. She never remembered it and didn't resist. She believed everything that he told her.

"I thought you left me…"

"I'll never leave," he swore, uncertain of what he was saying. He made it a point to never make promises.

Lisa did not speak again as she drifted back into a peaceful sleep. Jonathan sighed and closed his eyes as well. He would need the sleep as well, for tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

Early the following morning, loud knocking roused both Lisa and Jonathan from their deep slumber. Jonathan rushed to his office door.

"Who is it?" he demanded. He never opened his door to just anyone.

"Dr. Crane, we need you! Silvia Monroe was just found…she's dead!" came a panicked voice from the other side. One of the young, inexperienced girls from the front desk, he assumed.

"Dead?"

"Yes," confirmed the voice.

Jonathan swiftly unlocked and opened the door. He momentarily forgot all about having slept in his office all night and that Lisa was still with him until she spoke.

"Jonathan? What's going on?" Lisa asked, sounding confused. Her voice caused him to turn around.

"Lisa, come along. Something's happened."

He ushered her to join him. The young woman outside his office seemed shocked by Lisa's appearance at his side. Lisa latched onto Jonathan again, but this time she was actually afraid of what was happening outside the safety of his office.

Jonathan shot the young receptionist who had disturbed them a withering glare and she gratefully took the hint and beckoned them forwards, leading them to main nurse's station, where the police were waiting for him. Being director of Arkham often took a toll on his life and it meant that he often had to deal with police regarding the different criminals institutionalized there.

"Dr. Crane, I'm sorry to have disturbed you," said the police sergeant in charge.

"That's quite alright Sergeant Gordon," replied Jonathan with a false smile. Gordon was a nice man and a good cop but he was a constant irritating factor for Jonathan to be sure. At least he was polite compared to some of the other men of Gotham's police force, such as Flass. "What seems to be the problem today?"

"One of your employees was found dead early this morning." Gordon looked down at a notepad in his hand. "A Miss Silvia Monroe. She appears to have died of trauma induced heart attack, but our investigation should reveal more. I would like you to lock down Arkham temporarily if at all possible to keep the inmates and employees separated."

Jonathan sighed. Lock-downs were tiresome. Cooperation with the police was over-rated anyway. He started to speak.

"I don't think—"

"Jonathan, please," Lisa whispered to him. "Help them catch this person."

How could he find the words to tell her that he had done this? That he had tracked down Silvia, sprayed her with the toxin and listened to her terror filled screams? After which, he regained his composure to return to his office?

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. "Whatever needs to be done, just let me know and I'll handle it. I don't understand how this could have happened."

"If you don't mind my asking, where were you last night, Dr. Crane?" Gordon questioned, pen poised above his ridiculously tiny pad of paper.

"He was with me," Lisa piped up quickly. "I'm his new assistant, Lisa Rippner. We were working on some tedious paperwork last night in his office and we both fell asleep."

"Miss Rippner..." Gordon began, but Lisa cut him off.

"Mrs. Rippner," she said sadly correcting him. Lisa did not want him getting the wrong idea of her relationship with Jonathan.

"Oh, I see. And where might be Mr. Rippner?"

Lisa bit her lip. Jonathan wrapped an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. "Her husband just died not too long ago. His death was sudden and hit her rather hard," Jonathan explained to Gordon. He did not even bother to mention that recently was actually nearly nine months prior.

"I'm terribly sorry," Gordon said sincerely.

"It's okay," Lisa said, choking on a sob that settled in her throat and Jonathan held her closer, rubbing her back softly now. She needed him to lean on and he did not care, despite the ethical boundaries that he knew he was crossing. He could easily lose his medical license if the wrong person found out that he was treating her. _Not that anyone would find out…_

Unless cops, such as Gordon, started asking the wrong questions and poking into places where they did not belong. But there was a solution to that though not a pleasant one. A faint trace of a smile came emerged on his lips. _Not a pleasant one at all._

**Author's Notes:**

Not much to say except big thanks to** emptyvoices** as well as everyone who reviewed this chapter! Enjoy and the next chapter should be up soon.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Sixteen**

"Lisa, let's go home for a while and let them do their work." Jonathan suggested knowing he could not afford for Lisa to have a breakdown in front of Gordon.

"Okay," she agreed numbly, allowing Jonathan to lead her out to the silver car. He helped her into the passenger's seat and closed the door carefully once she was settled inside.

"Dr. Crane?" Sergeant Gordon called from the front of Arkham, jogging briskly to where the dark-haired man stood waiting with an attitude of trepidation.

"Yes?" Jonathan responded with a forced smile. He only wanted to get Lisa back to his place and have a session before she became either uncooperative or worsened by her delusions.

"Are you headed to your home?"

"Just for a few hours. I'm leaving Arkham to you, Sergeant Gordon. I trust when I will return, it will still be in one piece."

"How will I be able to reach you, should anything happen?" asked Gordon. He was not enthusiastic about letting Jonathan Crane leave. A few people in town were suspicious about the psychiatrist's seemingly shady dealings supposedly with Carmine Falcone and now a murder was committed under his very nose. However instead of guarding his precious asylum, he was leaving with his very pregnant assistant. _Since when does Crane even have an assistant? _Gordon wondered. Something was very wrong with Dr. Crane and Lisa Rippner, and Gordon knew it.

"The nurses will know how to get in touch with me. Now, if you will excuse me, it's been an exceptionally long night and we would both like a chance to freshen up."

"Oh, of course. Sorry to have bothered you, Dr. Crane."

"Don't worry about it." Jonathan said coolly before climbing into the car. Gordon watched him fasten his seatbelt and speak to Lisa for a moment before driving away.

Once Dr. Crane was safely headed away from Arkham and into the Narrows, Gordon ducked inside his patrol car. He radioed in to Gotham PD's Headquarters.

After his call was answered, he said, "Can someone dig up whatever information can be found on a Lisa Rippner? R-I-P-P-N-E-R." Gordon spelled. "Also run a check on her husband. His first name is unknown. I've been informed that she is Dr. Crane's new assistant."

Gordon was determined to get to the bottom of this case even if it meant going up against the powerful director of Arkham Asylum and potentially, the drug overload of Gotham. He would do whatever it took to figure out what was going on behind the scenes of the dismal mental institution.

* * *

"Welcome home, Lisa." Jonathan announced a short while later, after pulling up in front of his modest two-story house located in a decent section of town.

"This is really nice of you, Jonathan." Lisa said, taking a deep breath in amazement. He really did not have to take care of her. Jackson had seen to her well-being and a part of her felt that she did not need his help yet she did. He held the key to her sanity. Jonathan was the answer to her freedom from Jackson.

"Not at all, Lisa. You're perfectly welcome here." he said with a wide smile.

Despite his friendly exterior, Lisa could not help but be slightly guarded by his kind actions. It was eerily similar, this bringing her to his home, to what she had endured with Jackson. She had sworn to never let that happen again. She would not become anyone's pawn.

_But Jonathan was nothing like Jackson, was he?_

* * *

"This is Gordon," Sergeant Gordon answered as his cell phone rang a while later. "Miami, you said? A murder case? Can you pull the files…? I'll be right there."

He hung up the cell phone. His hunch had been right. There was something buried in Lisa's past that did not fit. Her husband had not died by accident. He had been murdered…by her.

Gordon sped to the police station and barely parked before racing inside the building. Lying on his neat and orderly desk was a stack of file folders. 'Rippner, Lisa' was scrawled on the top of one folder and 'Rippner, Jackson' on the other. He sank down into his desk chair and flipped through Jackson Rippner's folder first.

He nearly had a heart attack when his eyes were greeted by a set of icy blue eyes paired with dark brown hair. For a moment he thought that he was staring at a picture of Jonathan Crane, and then he slowly realized that there were a few differences between the two men.

Yet the similarities were so close, they could easily pass for one another. Did Dr. Crane have an alias and another life away from Arkham? If so, why end his alias and implicate Lisa in the so-called murder?

Jim pored over the file. Jackson Rippner had died several months earlier, while Jonathan Crane had been away on one of his frequent business trips. If Crane was really Jackson Rippner, then why leave Lisa Rippner in Miami for such a long period of time? Why just now bring her to Gotham?

Why did he get this gut feeling that everything that was happening was somehow connected to Lisa and her unborn child?

* * *

"How are you feeling today, Lisa?" asked Jonathan after they had begun their session. He had shown Lisa around the house and she had insisted upon a therapy session, which he was only too willing to oblige.

"Anxious… I have this terrible feeling… and Jackson's gone. He's gone. I feel empty inside, Jonathan," she whispered to him.

"The emptiness is normal. It only signifies that you are beginning to let go of him. This is a good sign."

"I miss him… I loved him."

Jonathan only nodded. He still could not understand how anyone could have loved his mentally deranged twin. Jackson had antisocial tendencies and was almost completely devoid of human emotion. In Jonathan's experience, Jackson had no capacity for love, and therefore it stood to reason that no one could love him in return.

"Jonathan, I don't want to forget him. He may have a monster at times, but he was still a good person. I know he was."

"I'm not here to make you forget him. I'm here to help you. How do you think I can help you?"

Lisa let out a quavering sigh and swallowed hard. _How to say it?_

"Help me…help me raise the baby. I don't want to risk hurting Jackson's baby," Lisa blurted, her words coming out in a rush as she felt her stomach clench in panic at the thought of solely bringing her child up in this world without anyone to lean on.

**Author's Notes:**

A cliffie! I'm sorry that it took me a while to get this up. It was finished, but I wasn't sure if I needed to change anything before I updated. Anyways, big thanks to **emptyvoices** and thanks to everyone who has reviewed!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ and _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Seventeen**

"I'll help you, Lisa. You don't need to worry, all right? Everything will be fine. You'll see," Jonathan said soothingly, his melodic voice mimicking Jackson's own.

"Thank you. I had never planned on raising a child on my own, but I know Jackson would hate me for giving up our baby. My child needs a father since I killed him and someone needs to help me," Lisa said softly. She hated having to remember that she had cold-bloodedly murdered her husband. _Could I have learned to live with him?_

"I will help you as long as you need it."

Lisa was still his patient, yet he was unconcerned about anyone finding out about this private arrangement and if Sergeant Gordon kept poking into his affairs, he would find no evidence of Jonathan treating Lisa. All he would find was a pregnant widow working as his assistant. It was unofficial, his taking care of Lisa and therefore there were no doctor-patient boundaries to cross.

Lisa nodded, a smile crossing her face. "Thank you so much, Jonathan. You have no idea what this means to me."

"Well…" Jonathan started to say, but the psychiatrist was quickly enveloped in a hug from Lisa. He responded stiffly at first; not used to showing physical affection. He had been ignored most of his life and when he was noticed, he was only kicked around by his bully of a twin or his father. Lisa was different. She was an exceptionally strong woman and at the same time she was incredibly reliant upon him.

'_You enjoy the power…' Scarecrow hissed in his ear._

Oddly enough, Scarecrow was correct.

* * *

Lisa now belonged to him. She was his property and his to command or manipulate. By asking for his help, she had unwittingly bound herself to him and Jonathan knew he could never relinquish his hold on her.

He would be everything Jackson was not. He would take his dead brother's place and he would be a father to the baby and a husband to Lisa. _Yes, I'll marry Lisa_... It was best to make everything legal.

Lisa would be his either shortly before or after the baby was born. His plans would utterly depend upon her. Either way, he was still going to use her as an experiment for his fear toxin. Nothing, not even his feelings for Lisa, could interfere with his commitment to Ra's Al Ghul.

* * *

Jim Gordon knew that trying to contact Lisa Rippner was futile. Dr. Crane would surely be keeping tabs on her. Instead, he did the next best thing to gather information upon Jackson Rippner and the events that brought Lisa to Gotham, therefore leading him to contact Joseph Reisert.

"Hello?" Joe answered the phone, his voice filled with a sudden hope. Everyday, he prayed that he might hear from Lisa. It had been months since she had shut him out. Ever since she had landed in the hospital, ended up married to Jackson Rippner, and subsequently murdered him; Lisa had refused to see him.

"Joe Reisert? This is Sergeant Gordon—"

"Lisa! Did something happen to Lisa?" Joe's voice was shaking from anxiety.

"Mr. Reisert, Lisa's fine as far as I can tell. I'm calling about Jackson Rippner…"

"Is that bastard still alive? I thought Lisa killed him!"

"Um, I'm not entirely sure. I have reason to believe that your Jackson Rippner could potentially be a man known as Jonathan Crane…"

"Has _he_ hurt Lisa?"

"No," Gordon's patience was wearing thin. "No one has hurt your daughter. She is in Gotham with Dr. Crane, the director of Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane. Dr. Crane just happens to bear a striking resemblance to Jackson Rippner and I thought I would do some checking on him."

"If I'm lucky, he's rotting away six feet under."

"Mr. Reisert, I'm sure this sounds like an odd request, but I'd like to exhume Mr. Rippner's body."

"By all means, go for it. I just want to be present when you dig him up so I can make sure he's still there. He was a sneaky bastard."

"I'm sure he was, Mr. Reisert…"

* * *

"Lisa, I have to return to Arkham. Do you want to come with me or stay here?" Jonathan asked her a few hours later. He was dressed in a fresh suit and feeling well-rested. Now it was time for him to deal with the incompetent police force overrunning his asylum.

"I think I'll stay here. I'm really tired," Lisa yawned.

Jonathan nodded. "I'll be back shortly. Get some rest."

Lisa waited for him to leave before slipping into Jonathan's bedroom and changing into a nicer outfit. She killed at least thirty minutes before snatching the keys to the Beemer and slipping into her car. An overwhelming sense of curiosity surrounded her. She wanted to watch Jonathan at work, without his knowledge.

She wanted to know that she could trust him. She did not want to wait until it was too late. Lisa couldn't afford to take any chances with anyone else and she was not going to let a repeat of her altercations with Jackson occur. Her daughter deserved better than that.

**Author's Notes:**

Not a very long chapter, but it sets up an interesting conversation between Jonathan and Lisa in the next chapter. Enjoy and big thanks again to **emptyvoices**! Next chapter coming soon!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Eighteen**

Lisa was able to enter Arkham Asylum on her own with only minor difficulties. Many of the nurses and police officers that were milling about remembered seeing her earlier in the day and corroborated her story of being Jonathan's assistant. Despite the tragedy that had occurred, the workers graciously helped her gather her bearings and search for Jonathan. They seemed to sympathize with her plight after she carefully explained the loss of Jackson and her luck in finding Jonathan.

Whether or not they believed her story about Jonathan's nicer side was debatable. They were kinder than Silvia Monroe had been, yet there was no love lost between Jonathan and his staff. They were all far too eager to stab him in the back if given half a chance.

Jonathan was not in his office or working with an inmate according to the nurses and police that Lisa spoke to. His endless pages by police officers wishing to speak with him regarding the murder went unanswered.

_Had something happened to Jonathan?_

His car was parked out front. Jonathan was inside Arkham Asylum—the only question was where.

Finally, Lisa headed down to the basement in the elevator, using a spare key to operate it. This was only place that she had yet to check. She left the elevator and headed down the dimly light hallway to a set of doors marked 'Hydrotherapy'. She had felt drawn to this room for an unknown reason.

Inside the dark room, Lisa could make out a figure seated at a table. His dark haired-head was nodding to an inaudible voice, agreeing, as he alternated mixing chemicals and scribbling down notes. He mumbled to himself frequently.

Jonathan, her Jonathan, was sitting down there; frazzled and anxious.

"Jonathan?" she finally gathered up the courage to call. Lisa could no longer watch him without his knowledge. She wanted him to tell her what he was doing. She had to know.

He spun around, his icy blue eyes narrowing. When he noticed her, he visibly relaxed; the tense muscles in his body ceasing activity. Lisa Rippner was not a threat to him. At least not in her current state.

"Lisa? What are you doing here?" he asked, pleasantly surprised by her appearance.

Lisa smiled at him and he left his work lying upon the dusty table. Jonathan briskly joined her by the doors. _What the hell was she doing here?_

"I wanted to see you," Lisa responded innocently.

"You should not have come here."

"Why not? Jonathan, what's wrong?" Her voice conveyed her concern for him. When was the last time that someone had actually cared about him? He could no longer remember.

"Come along, Lisa. I will take you home." Jonathan grabbed her lightly by the arm and spun her around, intent on removing her from the room. She could not see the toxin. If she went to Sergeant Gordon then it would all be over. He could not afford that.

"Jonathan—what is this?" questioned Lisa, no longer easily deterred. The curiosity that had brought her there demanded answers.

_Did she know? Could she have figured it out? What did I say? How long was she watching?_

"This is where I make the medicine, Lisa. There is where I help people."

"Oh, Jon. Jonathan…" whispered Lisa.

"No. Scarecrow," snapped Jonathan, closing the door and shifting to block it.

"Jon…Jonathan? Please, stay with me. Stay with me, Jonathan."

"Leese, I'm sorry," the man before her mimicked Jackson's voice and used her nickname. Only Jackson, her father, and Cynthia had ever used that name.

_Is that Jackson?_ Lisa wondered.

"Jonathan, you're scaring me." _It's not Jackson, he can't be Jackson._

"I'm so sorry."

"Jonathan, no! The baby!" Lisa screamed and tried to shield her stomach. Jonathan/Jackson raised a needle in midair and he calmly flicked the air from it.

"Relax, Lisa," he soothed, injecting himself with the liquid.

"Jonathan, what was that?" she questioned him. She was trembling from her fright. Jonathan reached out to touch her, but she backed away.

"Scarecrow—that was Scarecrow. I'm sorry," apologized Jonathan. _Tell me that this is not happening._

Jonathan had his own demons to conquer. Even though he was a psychiatrist he was not immune to insanity. He was human. Lisa knew that he would never hurt her on purpose. Jonathan was a good man. He had helped her before and he still was helping her. Now it was time for her to return the favor.

"Jonathan, please, let me help you. Let me help you now. You helped me," she pleaded quietly.

Jonathan Crane smiled at her. He was winning her over. She was falling for him. Had she been any other woman, such as the insufferable ADA Rachel Dawes, then she would have run from him. Lisa had stumbled onto his secret—well, two of them—and was unafraid. True, releasing Scarecrow and Jackson had scared her; but she still trusted him.

Lisa Rippner was his willing victim… a pawn in his scheme.

* * *

Jim Gordon drove to Miami, grateful of its close proximity to Gotham. He had with him the files on Lisa Rippner, Jackson Rippner, as well as one on Dr. Jonathan Crane. Joe had agreed to meet him and look over photographs of Dr. Crane and Jackson Rippner and tell him all about the events that had led Lisa to Jackson and ended his life. In return, Jim would head up the investigation into Dr. Crane's background and help set up the exhumation of Jackson Rippner.

He parked in front of 9321 Blossom Palms Lane and exited his car, the stack of files in his arms. Gordon did not even reached the front door before it swung open and he caught his first glimpse of Joe Reisert. The downtrodden man's face brightened upon noticing the police sergeant outside his house.

"Come in, come in!" Joe said cheerfully, as he ushered Gordon into his home. The renovations had finished long ago and the front of the house had been repaired.

"I can't stay long…"

"That's okay. We can talk quickly. I just want to get my daughter back."

Jim nodded in understandment. Had he been in Joe's predicament, he would have thought the exact same thing.

"Oh, is this Jackson Rippner?" Gordon questioned, suddenly remembering the file folders that he held. He flipped open Jackson's file and showed Joe the pictures it contained.

The older man nodded sadly. "That's him alright."

"What about this man?" Gordon inquired, showing him the pictures of Dr. Crane now. Joe nearly jumped at the sight of the other man and looked at both sets of pictures.

"What an uncanny pair," Joe muttered. "So similar, yet so different."

"They aren't both Jackson then?"

"No, but they sure could pass for each other."

_Interesting…_

**Author's Notes:**

Lisa just keeps missing the bad things that he does. He really has her wrapped around his finger. Thankfully Joe and Jim are teaming up. Thanks for the review and enjoy!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Nineteen**

Lisa Rippner willingly helped Jonathan with his various toxin experiments. Her due date was rapidly approaching and she kept forging ahead with their research. Jonathan never permitted her to be present when he was mixing chemicals or testing. She was always a safe distance away, carefully taking notes and organizing files on patients. Lisa was an intricate part of the development of the fear toxin.

The pair was extremely busy. They hurriedly dressed in the morning and rushed to the asylum, where they remained until late in the evening. Lisa took several naps a day upon the couch in Jonathan's office. She was no longer afraid of Arkham and it made Jonathan's life less stressful.

One morning, a few days before Lisa was due to deliver, she felt pains consistent with labor.

"Jonathan! Jonathan!" Lisa called as she gritted her teeth in the searing pain from the harsh contractions.

The bespeckled Jonathan Crane came running down the stairs to the kitchen, skipping steps and his dress shirt halfway buttoned and his tie flapping. For once he looked similar to the patients that he treated over at Arkham with her assistance.

"What's wrong?" he questioned, breathless from his mad dash as he reached her side.

"The baby, the baby's coming, Jon," she whispered before another wave of pain hit. She mentally cursed Jackson for causing this.

The lanky psychiatrist paled. "I'll grab the bag," he said, helping her stand. "Can you make it towards the car?"

"I think so…" nodded Lisa. "Just hurry!"

Jonathan nodded as well and he was off, dashing back up the stairs. He stopped briefly to grab his jacket and Lisa's bag before turning around and hurrying back to her. He carefully helped her out the front door and into his car. He quickly shrugged his jacket on to help cover his wrinkled and messy appearance, before starting the car engine and buckling his seat belt.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, more than a little concerned. Lisa was not just any patient of his—she was his demented brother's widow and part of his fear toxin experiment. He had invested a lot of time and energy in healing her from the damage inflicted by Jackson. Jonathan could have easily stayed at home and delivered the baby thanks to his medical training, but he did not trust himself at this moment. He could not afford to slip up at this late stage of the game.

"I'm fine," Lisa replied; her voice and breathing shaky. She was already exhausted and she had barely even begun.

"Okay, we'll be there shortly. Don't worry."

* * *

"Thank you for authorizing this," Jim Gordon said to a haggard Joe Reisert as they stood in a cemetery.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this. I just want my daughter back," insisted Joe. That was all that mattered to the older man anymore.

"I understand."

The once-shiny andpolished casket was slowly raised up from the earth, which had held it tightly for the past several months in a loving embrace. Loose dirt rained down into the hole beside the grave marked 'Jackson Rippner'.

A few hours later, the coffin had been moved into an autopsy room, where Jim and Joe were present for the post-burial examination of one Jackson Rippner, the husband of Lisa Rippner. A killer that had been murdered by on of his former victims, according to the stories that Joe had told Gordon.

A strong corner's assistant deftly wielded a crowbar against the wooden tomb and pried the lid open. Jim and Joe stepped forwards, both men eager to catch a glimpse of the casket's occupant—if there was indeed anyone buried inside.

A young man greeted their eyes. He seemed to be peaceful, just sleeping. But a closer look at the body proved otherwise. The man's nose had been broken and pushed back into place and Gordon was positive that there were many other wounds upon his body. Dark brown hair hid his closed eyes.

"Is this your Dr. Crane? Joe questioned.

"No, but it sure as hell looks a lot like him," sighed Jim. "Is this Mr. Rippner?"

"Fortunately, it is. It's a relief to know that he can't hurt her anymore. Yet, this Dr. Crane fellow… is there any connection between them?"

"I don't know yet, but I intend to find out."

"Do that for me. I missed out on Rippner, and if anyone else hurts my baby, then they'll get what he deserved."

"I don't doubt it."

**Author's Notes:**

Just a quick little chapter! Only one more chapter left and then the epilogue. Warning, the end is one big cliffie, which will lead into 'Never…' which picks up several years later and will explain what happened over time.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Chapter Twenty**

"Almost there, Lisa," Jonathan reassured her several hours later. "You're doing great."

"Jackson," she whispered, extreme exhaustion setting in. "Help me, Jackson."

Jonathan showed no reaction to her misguided belief that he was his twin. "It's okay. It's almost over. One more big push, Lisa, and it will all be over."

Lisa nodded and pushed hard, screaming as she did. She collapsed against the bed as she felt the baby leave her. Jonathan was brushing her loose hair back and wiping her sweaty face with a damp washcloth. She had done exceptionally well for a first time mother.

"A beautiful girl, Mrs. Rippner," announced the doctor from where she was cleaning the baby.

"Jackson. I want to hold her. Jackson, can I hold her?" she asked Jonathan quietly, her green eyes sparkling.

Jonathan looked towards the doctor, who nodded. He picked up the swaddled infant from where she lay and slowly walked over to Lisa. He was holding his niece, the daughter of Lisa and Jackson Rippner. He smiled down the baby and then at Lisa as he presented her with her daughter.

"She's beautiful, Lisa. She really is," he smiled and gently passed the newborn baby to her weary mother.

Lisa took her child from Jonathan and said, "Amy. Her name is Amy Alison Rippner."

"It's a perfect name."

"We have to take her for a few tests now, Mrs. Rippner," one of the nurses said, reaching for the sleeping Amy.

"Okay," Lisa muttered reluctantly before handing over her daughter.

The nurses and doctors left the room, leaving Lisa and Jonathan alone. She sighed and he numbly comforted her. _How was he going to get the baby from Lisa?_

He did not need to worry for after a few minutes, Lisa had fallen asleep and suddenly woke screaming. Jonathan jumped up from the chair that he had been occupying across the room and rushed to her side. His intent was to calm her down and discover what she had seen. _Was Jackson back?_

"Lisa, Lisa, what's wrong?" he called out, worried. Everything that he had been working for hinged upon her.

"Get away Jackson! Get away! You'll hurt her! You'll hurt Amy!" Lisa yelled and struck out at him.

Jonathan tried to hold her down. The last thing he need was her injuring herself or tearing the fresh stitches. She clawed at him, using her sharp nails as a weapon. She managed to swipe his face and draw blood.

"Can someone get me that black bag?" Jonathan ordered, praying that someone had heard him. He could not leave Lisa alone for the precious seconds it would take to reach the bag containing Lisa's belongings and his medications.

A nurse rushed in from the hallway, drawn in by the screams of fury from Lisa. "What do you need?"

"There should be a black zippered case inside that black bag by the chair. I need it."

"What for?"

"I'm a psychiatrist and she used to be my patient. She's suffering from delusions."

The nurse nodded and fetched the case. She handed it to him and he took a hypodermic needle and a bottle of clear fluid from it.

"Jackson! You bastard!" Lisa cried as he prepped the syringe.

"It's okay, Lisa," he soothed, injecting his concoction into her IV. "You'll be all right now."

Lisa's eyes fluttered closed as the drug went into affect. Jonathan turned to face the bewildered nurse, momentarily forgetting his bloody face and ruffled clothes.

"Why was she yelling at you?" the curious nurse wanted to know.

"Not at me. I'm Jonathan, Dr. Jonathan Crane. She was screaming at her dead husband, Jackson Rippner. He resembled me."

"Did he die recently?"

"He died nine months ago. She just had their only child."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Now if you would excuse us," he said coolly, waving his hand toward the door.

"Oh, sorry," she whispered and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her. Jonathan sighed. _Stupid nurses…_

* * *

Lisa was released two days later with no further outbursts and no memory of attacking Jonathan. The scratch marks were still visible upon his face, but he lied and said one of his patients at Arkham had done it. She had believed him because she had told him to go to work after the baby was born. She knew that the fear toxin needed to be finished despite what was happening with her.

Early in the afternoon of Jonathan's ultimatum, he knew that it was finally the time to test Lisa and see if the drug affected her in exactly the same way as the other experiments. Inside his jacket pocket was the current antidote, which he would administer after watching her reactions for a few moments. The sooner he gave her the antidote, the less affect the drug would have upon her. And if he was lucky, she would forget all about him attacking her with the gas.

When Lisa's head was turned, he sprayed the gas from the canister hidden in his sleeve into her face. She gagged and choked on the nauseating fumes. Then the screams began once he bent down to look into her face.

Scarecrow eagerly soaked up her terror, her fear.

Lisa kicked at him and ran away. He smirked and followed her, stalking her as some animals stalk their prey. She threw various objects at his head and screamed. He was closing in when she grabbed the fireplace poker.

"Get away, Jackson! NO!"

Scarecrow's fun was over. Jonathan was no fool. She murdered her own husband before, whom she had claimed to love. He was not going to let her kill him as well.

Jonathan jumped at her and ripped the metal weapon from her grip. While she was distracted by his sudden attack, he deftly jabbed her with a needle. In it was the antidote that he had created just for her; his precious pet.

Lisa went limp in his arms and sagged against his chest. Jonathan smiled. It had worked. He carried her to the bed and tucked her in.

* * *

"Mr. Reisert? I just got the results of the DNA work-up," Jim said solemnly over the telephone.

"And…?" Joe's eager, anxious voice replied.

"Jackson Rippner and Jonathan Crane have the exact same DNA. They are identical in their genetic make-up. I decided to run their fingerprints against each other, and found that they are not the same person."

"That means…"

"Mr. Rippner and Dr. Crane are twins. Whether or not they knew or Lisa knows is the only question now."

"If they were twins, then Lisa's in danger, isn't she?" Joe questioned, concerned. If this Dr. Crane fellow was upset by his brother's death, then he might very well take it out on Lisa.

"It's possible," Jim Gordon sighed. At that particular moment, his office door burst open.

"Sergeant Gordon? We have to go. There's been a breakout at Arkham Asylum. The entire police force is on their way," reported a young officer.

"Joe, something's going on at Arkham. I'll do my best to get to the bottom of Lisa's situation, I promise. But right now, I've got to go."

"I understand."

"Okay, bye," Jim said hurriedly, hanging up and running from his office to a squad car. He could only hope that the Batman was on his way.

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, I've changed the _Batman Begins_ storyline slightly. Jonathan was not caught by Rachel Dawes or Batman and gassed. Since his accidental dosage prior to Silvia Monroe's murder, Jonathan has vaccinated himself against the toxin and is now immune. The toxin is in the hands of Ra's al Ghul, who ordered the breakout at Arkham. Jonathan doesn't yet know what's happening, but when he does, he's getting out of town ASAP. That's the last chapter and now all that's left is the epilogue before we move in to the sequel and the third part of this trilogy. Enjoy and thanks for the reviews!


	21. Epilogue

**Always…**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_ or _Batman Begins_!

**Epilogue**

Jonathan stayed with Lisa until she was calm once more; knocked out by the powerful psychotropic drugs coursing her system. He was smirking as he calmly turned and left the room. He was the complete polar opposite of a man whose fiancée had a psychotic episode while giving birth to his niece. He was cold and indifferent—a near mirror of Jackson Rippner, the child's father.

Amy Alison Rippner was her name. It was odd that Jackson was still controlling Lisa from beyond the grave. Lisa had explained to him that Jackson had told her that her name was Amy Alison Adams while she had amnesia. Now, she had passed Jackson's choice of a name on to their only child. Despite their impending marriage, Lisa had insisted that Amy have Jackson's last name on her birth certificate as well as his name under the title of father.

Jonathan had been conveniently left out. Not that he would remain out. As soon as Lisa was legally his wife, Amy's last name would be Crane, despite what the piece of paper said. _He_ would be her father no matter what.

Even DNA testing would say that she was his daughter. Even if his twin brother had been the one to impregnate Lisa, Jackson and Jonathan shared the same genetic material. There would be no distinguishing them genetically. Only Lisa Rippner knew the truth and it was doubtful that she would remember. He was gradually replacing Jackson in her mind and there was little time left before she became his success story with the fear toxin and his wife.

Jonathan wandered to the nursery where Amy was. She was awake and beginning to grow restless from hunger. He reached out and took Amy. She was already showing signs of her father, even at her young age. Her hair was dark and he could occasionally make out what he considered to be blue eyes. Amy kept her eyes closed most of the time, but he had glimpsed them a few times. It would just figure that he would end up with a never-ceasing reminder of Jackson everyday.

Jonathan whispered to baby in his arms. "Hey, I'm going to be your daddy. What do you think about that? Huh? You'll never have to know your real father—and what a piece of slim he was. Amy, I promise that I'll keep you safe from the insanity that he brought. I'll protect you. And in return, you'll take my place one day. How's that sound?"

Amy showed no sign of having heard him. Jonathan smiled anyways. No matter what Lisa tried to do to stop him, or what efforts Gordon and the other cops made; Amy was going to be his and she would work for him.

He carried the infant downstairs and casually flicked on the TV before entering the kitchen to make Amy a bottle.

"There has been what appears to be a jail break at Arkham Asylum. Currently, the entire Gotham Police Force is located in the Narrows, in an attempt to control the escapees. Residents of Gotham are urged to stay inside their homes…" the TV blared, startling Jonathan.

He dropped the bottle, and hastened up the stairs. Gotham was no longer safe. Soon the fingers would be pointing at him and Gordon would be the first person on his heels. They had to get out of Gotham that night.

"Lisa, wake up!" he hissed, shaking the sleeping woman one-handed, holding Amy with the other hand.

The drowsiness of the antidote had already worn off and Lisa stirred. "Jonathan, what's going on?"

"There's been a breakout at Arkham. We have to get out of town tonight. Gotham isn't a safe place for you or the baby right now."

Lisa seemed shocked, but within half an hour, Jonathan, Lisa, and Amy were packed up and in a car fleeing Gotham as Ra's al Ghul and his associates wrecked havoc among the residents of the city. The fear-obsessed psychiatrist knew the risks and he was not about to challenge them. He would return one day when the time was right, but not before.

After all, he already had his prizes…

**Author's Notes:**

That's the end of _Always…_! The first part of _Never…_, the follow-up piece that takes place several years down the road, will explain many of the questions left unanswered here and should be up later today. If not, look for it next Thursday. Enjoy and big thanks to anyone and everyone who made it this far!


End file.
